I always envied those that were fortunate enough to experience some special freebee in the work place. According to the author, James Suroweiecki, “A perk is designed in part to reinforce status divisions, and ridged hierarchies do not lend themselves to intelligent decision-making, since they isolate executives from the rest of the company.” He goes on to say that economists have found that, “perk-rich companies have a much lower rate of sales; they’re less, not more efficient than their peers.”

I may have never experienced much in the way of perks, but I have sure witnessed the privilege few indulge in theirs. One so called perk, I have seen abused most often is simply, time. Time away from the office, time to come and go according to a manager’s personal needs without fear of consequence. I once worked in a place where the manager and her daughter, also a perk laden employee, literally used time they didn’t have inspiring co-workers to eventually keep track until, it was noted, 54 days in a year were spent away from the place of employment. Funerals, hospital visitations in the middle of the day, various child related emergencies, family members dropping in too visit and extended personal phone calls to address an issue at home. Perks apparently only a few select people warranted. The rest of the staff were required to handle issues in ways that didn’t involve being away from a normal work day or were required to use paid time off, such as a sick day or vacation day. Perks can also include access to otherwise privy information. When I first found myself at the scene of such an office, I began to realize that by the administrator telling a select few of upcoming changes, those employees would later take pleasure in letting everyone know they had been clued in all along. I watched the gossip take on a life of its own in a culture where information was being concealed

Years later, I would contemplate writing a manual for managers. I have been witness to bad managerial techniques and a manual might help a manager avoid the trappings of perks and nepotism. Everything in a company starts at the top and trickles down. If the secrets and favoritism start there, its fallout lands squarely on the shoulders of the employees. With staff carrying the burdens of low morale, lack luster sales figures, and turnover rates, the penalty the company pays is in bottom line profit and disappearing talent. I believe good managing begins in the interview process. Put aside the silly questions, “Where do you see you’re self in five years” type of questions. If it’s a physic you want call a hotline, if it’s an excellent employee you want, then have a natural chat that puts the person at ease, people are more likely to open up that way. So many times, I have come into a company only to be told the manager is, “not a people person.” Why is someone lacking in social skills a manager of personal? Putting people at ease and getting to know a potential employee is how a useful profile is developed. A manager has to be a socialible person that gets people to open up. Knowing people and having insight into the human condition are the greatest tools a manager can process.

Once a stable team is in place, they should become just that with management, a team. I have worked in too many places where the CEO’s walked in and ignore the entire staff. In many a case they make a b-line for their office and shut the door. No one would know if they are alive all day, if it weren’t for the secretary’s occasional interaction. At one former place of employment, the office staff behaved like children when the boss would take a day off. Standing around chatting, personal calls and extended lunches. I see behavior like that as a sign that something is off balance in the environment. Like a group of pre-schoolers, they seem to “misbehave” as a form of rebellion. Of course we all expect to show up for work and get the job done, however, if tension and exclusivity persist, employees naturally take on a repressed attitude. When treated as a team effort, each person having equal input, employees aren’t caught up in the “us against them” mentality.

The point is one must lead by example. If the school calls regarding your child, and you go running, why wouldn’t you extend the same courtesy to the receptionist when her child’s school calls? Is your child’s health more important then his or her child? Are his or her motives any less noble than yours? If so, maybe the hiring practices should come into question, again, that’s a managerial issue. If you walk into the company and don’t know anyone’s name or think you don’t have to address personal, then why shouldn’t they whisper about your rudeness at the water cooler? When the gossip starts as to why the boss is so crabby, should we wonder why?

Perks such as country club memberships, trips, limo transportation, and expense accounts are given to some CEO’s and the shareholders foot the bill. For most of us, we don’t expect such luxuries to be handed out, but in many work environments, being included and treated with respect would go into the perk category and that’s sad. Maybe a new breed of manager and CEO is right around the corner, if it isn’t, be warned, one of your employees could be blogging about you.